Google Glass Now Boots Ubuntu, Recognizes Faces

MOUNTAIN VIEW, USA – Google Glass, the wearable Android-based augmented-reality eyewear that’s expected to go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year, is quickly getting the attention of the tech world.

At the recently-concluded Google I/O conference, the search giant showed participants how to play around with Glass to come up with exciting new uses. It held a session, titled “Voiding your Warranty”, to demonstrate how to root Google Glass and install Ubuntu on it. The process involved pushing APKs and pairing the device with a Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad.

Developers are now working on extending their smartphones apps to a platform that is wearable and hands-free. Lance Nanek, in his NeatoCode Techniques blog, says that his team has written medical app MedRef, which lets users find and create patient folders and add photo and voice notes all by voice.

The pre-release version of Google Glass, which cost $1,500, was released to developers and testers starting March. Google Glass is a pair of glasses with an Android computer attached to the right lens. The screen displays over the lens, and users can browse the internet, record videos, take pictures and send text messages through voice activation, but it raises privacy concerns owing to its ability to record what the user sees and hears.

By Carlo, International Correspondent, Cebo (Philippines) office
Published on May 28th, 2013 GMT +2